Gnats Game Notes: Saturday, July 17 Vs. Greenville

Published on July 17, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release


Savannah Sand Gnats (10-12/52-40, t-6th, Southern) vs. Greenville Drive (14-8/50-42, 1st, Southern)

Game #93 - Home Game #48 - Saturday - 6:05

RHP Armando Rodriguez (5-5, 3.03) vs. RHP Kendal Volz (5-3, 4.11)

Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA

Radio: WBMQ News/Talk 630, sandgnats.com

Tonight: The first-half champion Gnats look to make it three wins in a row in game four of their five-game series against the Greenville Drive, the Boston Red Sox SAL affiliate.

Last Night: No-hit through four innings, and trailing 3-0, Savannah 1B Travis Ozga's leadoff single ignited a five-run rally in the fifth inning. Savannah added four more runs in the sixth inning to run away with a 9-3 victory. All nine of Savannah's hits and all nine of the team's runs came in the fifth and sixth innings.

Now Pitching: Armando Rodriguez is scheduled to make his team-leading 19th start for Savannah. Since May 1, Rodriguez is 4-2 with a 2.62 ERA (20 ER/68.2 IP) and has allowed opponents to hit just .199 (50 H/251 AB). For the year, Rodriguez's opponents' batting average of .210 is the second-best in the SAL. In his last start, Rodriguez held Asheville to three runs, two earned, in five innings in a game Savannah won 5-3. The Gnats are 10-8 when Rodriguez throws and have supported him with 4.78 runs per game, tied for the fourth-most among the eight pitchers who have started for Savannah in 2010. With Kingsport a year ago, he was 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 20 walks in 45.2 innings. Promoted to Savannah on August 27th, he finished the year with a dominant three-start performance in which he allowed just five hits in 16.2 innings and struck out 24. The Mets signed Rodriguez as a non-drafted free agent June 6, 2007.

Puello's Progress: Cesar Puello was 1-4 with an RBI last night and has now hit safely in six straight games - a span in which he's hitting .304 (7-23). At the conclusion of May, Puello was hitting .234/.316/.280 (AVG/OBP/SLG) with eight doubles in 47 games. Since June 1, he is hitting .300/.395/.369 with nine doubles in 37 games. In April and May, he struck out in 21% of his plate appearances, a rate that has dropped to 15% in June and July.

Wonderful Wilfredo: Wilfredo Tovar was 2-4 with a double last night, the fourth time in the last five games he's had two hits in a contest. In those five games, he's hitting .400 (8 H/20 AB) and overall, he's hitting .355/.410/.447 for Savannah with seven doubles and six walks and six strikeouts in 22 games.

The Dr. is In: Doc Doyle has hit safely in four straight games for the first time all year. He's hitting .400 (6-for-15) in those four games. He's hitting .202 with 17 walks and 12 strikeouts in 36 games this year. The last time his average was above .200 was April 27.

Armed and Dangerous: The Gnats lead the SAL with a 2.63 ERA and 792 strikeouts. Savannah has allowed just 315 runs overall, 59 fewer than Hickory (374), which has allowed the second-fewest runs in the league.

Jet Plane: With his 1-4 Thursday night, infielder Jet Butler has now hit safely in his first seven games as a Gnat. The Mets drafted the 22-year old Butler in the 28th round of the June 2010 draft out of Mississippi State where he made the 2010 Spring Sports Academic Honor Roll.

Saturday Showoffs: The Gnats are 9-4 on Saturdays this year, 4-1 at home, and 5-3 on the road.

Vs. Greenville: The Gnats are 4-4 against the Drive this year. Tonight is game four of the second and final five-game series between the two teams this season. Savannah is 20-20 against the Drive since becoming a Mets affiliate before the 2007 season.

Playoffs: By virtue of winning the first half, the Gnats will have home-field advantage in the Southern Division Championship Series. The second half winner will host game one on Wednesday, September 8 before the series returns to Savannah for game two on Friday, September 10 and game three, if necessary, on Saturday, September 11.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 17, 2010


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